Waialua’s two-way players lead way

Matthan Hatchie and Lancen Kuni don’t get a lot of down time, and that’s just the way they like it.

Hatchie, an offensive and defensive lineman who also handles punts, kickoffs and PAT kicks, blocked a punt and recovered it for a touchdown as Waialua defeated McKinley 33-8 on Saturday afternoon at Ticky Vasconcellos Stadium.

The only negative, Hatchie spiked the football after scoring the touchdown, resulting in an unsportsmanlike penalty.

“You get all excited, the adrenaline is going, his first touchdown. You’ve got to expect that,” longtime Waialua coach Lincoln Barit said of Hatchie, a younger brother of former Waialua standout and University of Washington lineman Micah Hatchie.

Kuni was a major contributor, hauling in an early TD pass from Tevesi Toia and later returning a fumble for another TD. All in all, it was a stellar performance by Waialua’s defense and special teams that broke open a close game.

“They scored more touchdowns than our offense. We’re trying to get our offense to click right now,” Barit said.

The win lifted Waialua to 4-2 in Oahu Interscholastic Association Division II play. The Bulldogs are one of five teams still chasing the four playoff berths. Waialua will meet first-place Pearl City next week in a regular-season finale.

McKinley dropped to 0-6 in league play, but has improved massively since Week 1.

“We’re playing for each other. We’re a family,” second-year Tigers coach Sam Cantiberos said. “We’re not playing for any playoff berth, but we’re playing for one another, our brotherhood.”

Waialua brought a relentless pass rush on McKinley quarterback Elyjah Badua, posting four of its five sacks before halftime. McKinley’s defense also swarmed in the first half, coming up with three picks, but the offense sputtered.

Waialua took a 7-0 lead on a 33-yard bomb from Toia to Kuni, but didn’t score again until midway through the second quarter.

The Tigers lost linebacker Ezekiel Samuelu, who picked off two passes, including one in the end zone, during the first half. He suffered an Achilles tendon injury, though Cantiberos said it doesn’t appear to be serious.

Hatchie came through with his punt block and touchdown with 9:50 to go in the second quarter. Hatchie recovered the ball in the end zone to give Waialua a 14-0 lead.

Late in the first half, McKinley tried one of its gadget plays. A backward pass from Badua was short-hopped by sophomore Sonee Taylor, who seemed to stop playing. The ball was in his hands when he was popped by a Waialua defender, knocking the football loose. That’s when Kuni, playing cornerback, swooped in and picked up the ball, racing in 34 yards for his second TD and a 20-0 lead with 24 seconds left in the half.